Do You Really Need a Deep Teeth Cleaning?

Have you ever had the experience when an automotive mechanic suggested that you have your thundering thingamajig swapped out before you get past 100,000 miles or some such threshold? Maybe it wasn’t a thundering thingamajig. It might have been a rear differential or something entirely different. Here’s the point, though. Sometimes experts recommend things and we aren’t sure if we’re being taken advantage of, or if it’s really necessary. We’re natural skeptics.

With all that in mind, why is your dentist recommending a deep dental cleaning near you? Is deep dental cleaning in Longmont really necessary?

What’s the difference between “deep cleaning” and “regular cleaning”?

A regular cleaning is what happens at every dental check up. Your dentist’s hygienist will remove plaque and tartar that has built up on your teeth, between your teeth, and at your gum line. Regular cleanings are primarily a preventative measure, though they can also help to address the symptoms of the earliest forms of gum disease — gingivitis.

Deep cleanings extend below the gum line all the way to the roots of your teeth. You’ll sometimes see deep cleaning referred to as root planing or scaling. The goal of deep cleaning is more than merely preventative. It’s also intended to treat periodontal disease in the form of periodontitis.

When should you get a deep dental cleaning in Longmont?

If your dentist in Longmont has identified deep pockets — often a threshold of four millimeters or more — between your teeth and at your gum line, you may be experiencing early stages of periodontitis. As those pockets develop and deepen, your gums pull farther and farther away from your teeth. As a result, bacteria penetrates deeper and deeper into your tooth and jaw, accelerating the loss of tooth and bone matter.

By the time you are experiencing periodontitis, your gum disease has extended beyond mere gingivitis. Whereas gingivitis can be treated and reversed with just a renewed commitment to oral hygiene, periodontitis requires more invasive techniques to prevent the most serious harm.

Unless you receive deep cleanings — or root scaling — to address your periodontitis, it will progress to the point that your teeth loosen due to progressive bone loss to the point that you’ll eventually lose teeth altogether. A deep cleaning to reverse periodontitis can preserve your remaining tissue to allow for a gradual return to health while eliminating any need to consider tooth replacement options.

What happens during deep teeth cleaning in Longmont?

Deep teeth cleaning comes in two stages: scaling and planing. During scaling, your dentist, periodontist, or hygienist uses a hand-held implement called a dental scaler. Using that scaler, your dentist’s staff will manually scrape plaque from your teeth above and below the boundary of your gums. Alternatively, your dentist may use an ultrasonic implement equipped with a vibrating tip combined with a water spray to rinse away tartar.

During root planing, the hygienist uses a rubbing motion to smoothen rough areas on your teeth’s root. Eliminating those rough areas is important because those rough surfaces trap bacteria against your tooth.

The combination of scaling and planing leaves your teeth and teeth roots cleaner and healthier, and also permits your gum tissue to reattach to your teeth to prevent the interior of your jaw from bacteria and further decay.

Dental cleaning near you is not just another form of routine dental maintenance. If your dentist has recommended a deep cleaning, it is likely required to protect you from advancing periodontal disease that, if not addressed, could cause serious dental problems including tooth loss. Regular teeth cleanings are not always enough.